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【Waseda Goes Global】 Student Roundtable
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【Waseda Goes Global】 Student Roundtable

Tue, Apr 19, 2016
【Waseda Goes Global】 Student Roundtable
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Student Roundtable: How to take full advantage of programs available at Waseda

In 2014, Waseda University was selected for the highly competitive Top Global University Project (TGU) for its Waseda Goes Global Plan to lead Japanese universities in the areas of globalization, education, and research. In addition, Waseda’s mid-and-long-term plan,「Waseda Vision 150」, envisions the university as a notable establishment to foster global leaders by 2032, its 150th anniversary. Currently, the university is making organizational efforts to further enhance its global programs. Today, we have asked international students and students who have studied abroad to share their experiences on the educational and research opportunities that were available to them.

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Participant’s profile(As of March 2016)

a

Mari Brameld from Australia
A third-year student at the School of Advanced Science and Engineering
Working as a Resident Assistant (RA) at Waseda International Student House (WISH)


h

Stuart Morgan from the United States
A second-year student at the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS)
Working as a RA at WISH


c

Jeremy Boo from Singapore
A fourth-year student at the School of Political Science and Economics
Studying global political economy through the EDESSA program


d

Moe Sawamura from Japan
A third-year student at SILS
Studied abroad at UC Berkeley through the Global Leadership Fellows Program


e

Kazumasa Fujiwara from Japan
A second-year doctoral student at the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering
His research interest is in mathematics, one of the 6 units which the Waseda Goes Global Plan focuses on
Researched abroad in Italy at the University of Pisa
Recipient of the 6th Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Ikushi Prize


f

Moderator: Syuichi Furuya, Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor at the Faculty of Law

An educational reform at Waseda to train global citizens

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Furuya:Currently, we have the largest number of inbound and outbound students here at Waseda. Also, students can take advantage of a variety of study abroad and educational programs available. Today, I have asked you to come and tell us about the programs you have been a part of. I would appreciate your honest opinions about the programs and what they have been like.

Moe:I am part of the Global Leadership Fellows Program, and I studied at UC Berkeley in 2015. I am a returnee, but I wanted to study in English to perfect my language skills.

Global Leadership Fellows Program (GLFP)

Launched in the 2012 academic year, the objective of GLFP is to nurture true global leaders who can respect and honor a diverse range of value systems. Students study abroad for a year at prestigious universities in the United States, namely Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, John Hopkins University, University of California at Berkeley, and University of Washington. Furthermore, a special curriculum is arranged before and after studying abroad, impacting the students’ undergraduate experience throughout all four years.

Jeremy:I wanted to study in Japan, the center of Asia. I was accepted to the School of Political Science and Economics through the EDESSA Program, where you can earn your entire degree in English. I can learn technical English, and at the same time, it’s intriguing that I have many opportunities to interact with both Japanese and international students. The students here are deeply engaged in class due to the low student-to-teacher ratio available in most classes.

English-based Degree Studies September Admission Program (EDESSA Program)

The EDESSA program started in September 2010 in the School of Political Science and Economics. The program aims to foster the next generation of leaders who show promising commitment to our global community. Regardless of their Japanese ability, this program can be completed entirely in English.

Furuya:EDESSA and GLFP are both relatively new English-based programs. What was it like participating in them?

Moe:Discussing different issues with my American peers in debate class became an eye-opening experience. Usually in Japan, we are too humble since we worry about what other people think. In the U.S., on the other hand, it didn’t matter whether you were in your first year or your fourth year. Everyone reviewed the debate topic beforehand and examined ways to deconstruct opposing arguments. It was very challenging, but I learned so much.

Jeremy: Apart from the EDESSA program, I participated in activities where I interacted with Japanese students. I also took classes at the Center for Japanese Language to improve my Japanese. Before coming to Japan, I could only read hiragana and katakana. Now, my reading and listening skills have improved incredibly by taking Japanese classes every semester. These classes also had a low student-to-teacher ratio, which helped my language acquisition.

Center for Japanese Language

Japanese language education at Waseda is integrated into CJL. Over 2,000 international students study Japanese at the center. The classes are divided into eight levels, and the students take intensive Japanese courses according to their language ability. 

Furuya:It’s wonderful that you are all eager to learn a foreign language. Mr. Fujiwara, do you have the opportunity to meet international students? Perhaps it is different at the graduate level.

Kazumasa: My specialization is mathematics, one of the units TGU is focused on. Some people misunderstand that the only language you need in mathematics is mathematical equations, but this is not the case at all. We need to communicate verbally, and usually, the common language is English. I researched abroad at the University of Pisa. There, I exchanged opinions on proving mathematical equations with fellow researchers as equals, regardless of our positions and nationalities.

Top Global University Project (TGU)

TGU is a project promoted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MEXT) to globalize and reform governance structures in Japanese universities in order to compete in the education and research fields against world-class institutions. In the Waseda Goes Global Plan, we have selected six units of research recognized internationally (Global Japanese Studies, Empirical Analyses of Political Economy, Health Promotion: The Joy of Sports and Exercise, Frontier of Embodiment Informatics: ICT and robotics, Energy and Nanomaterials, and Multiscale Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation). Funding will be prioritized in these fields with aims to present their research globally and dramatically heighten international presence.

Furuya:You all have amazing international experiences. On the other hand, how can we make these kinds of opportunities available for Japanese students who have never been abroad before? As a university, we could possibly run a short-term or customized study abroad program during vacations and encourage students to explore a different country. Do you think this is reasonable?

Moe: I believe many students feel their growth after studying abroad. I have seen students with my own eyes who used to be timid and introvert become someone who can speak their minds with confidence after coming back from a different country.

Stuart:The best way to become fluent in English is to immerse yourself in an environment where you are forced to speak. I grew up in the United States up until high school, so I had some concerns about studying in Japanese. However, many classes at SILS were available in English, which gave me relief. Being around Japanese students allows me to speak Japanese on a daily basis, helping me become bilingual.

School of International Liberal Studies (SILS)

Established in 2004, SILS offers a liberal arts education entirely in English. 1/3 of the students are international students, and 1/3 of the faculty is from a foreign country. A year-long study abroad is required for those who speak Japanese as their mother tongue. 

Mari:Stuart and I are both Resident Assistants at WISH. We have responsibilities to look after first-year and second-year students. WISH requires all of its residents to participate in the Social Intelligence Program. These lectures are delivered in both English and Japanese. For international students, it becomes a place where they can practice their Japanese.

Waseda International Student House (WISH)

Waseda’s international student housing opened in 2014. As the newest place in the university to develop global leadership, students live together in quads with one or two international students per room.  

WISHウエルカムパーティー

Stuart:I would say that English and Japanese are spoken equally at WISH. Actually, because there are students from all over the world, you hear so many other languages, too. We hold many events, and through these kinds of cultural exchange, I naturally became more open-minded.

Social Intelligence (SI) Program

The SI Programs train students to maximize the knowledge and skills acquired through their regular university classes. Residents at WISH join students from other countries, regions, and family backgrounds once a week and participate in group work to realize their true potential. SI Programs cultivate talents capable of catering to social needs.

Topics to consider in the educational programs after studying abroad

Furuya:We will officially implement the quarter system soon to further increase the number of international students and study abroad students. What are obstacles for Waseda’s globalization in the programs you are involved with?

Quarter System (link in Japanese)

The quarter system divides each semester in half, creating one complete term consisting of eight weeks. For example, a course offered once a week in the semester system will be offered twice in the quarter. This permits classes to become more intensive in a shorter period of time. The quarter system will start from the 2017 academic year, helping the university become compatible with the academic year of most foreign universities and accelerate the acceptance of incoming and outgoing students as well as researchers. 

Kazumasa:It’s definitely one way to improve your language skills by studying abroad, but study abroad programs concentrate on international experience and language acquisition. For researchers like me, this does not give enough time to reach a level where I can have technical discussions with my counterparts. I believe it is necessary to study English beforehand through Tutorial English and take full advantage of your opportunities.

Tutorial English (link in Japanese)

Tutorial English is a series of courses developed by Waseda with a special focus on speaking English practically. One tutor is responsible for a maximum of four students, making quality lessons available due to the low student-to-tutor ratio. Tutorial English is a requirement for eight out of thirteen schools, and it is open to for all Waseda students. The courses are divided into six levels, and the students are placed accordingly depending on their TOEIC and TOEFL scores. Tutorial English is ready to adapt to the quarter system and continues to develop high-quality curriculum to optimize the English acquisition experience for Waseda students.

Furuya:That’s something to consider. When we conduct research in teams, can we do it in English? What about writing theses? Should they be written in English also? Being able to speak English is essential, but there’s a need to practice written English as well.

Mari: I thought about studying in the English-based degree program at the School of Advanced Sciences and Engineering, but it overlapped with my core courses, and by the time I tried to compare course offerings, the deadline had passed. However, I do know some people in the sciences who take the initiative to do a short-term study abroad.

Stuart:There’s an opportunity to speak English at WISH, but every now and then students from the same countries tend to form groups. People who put themselves out there can communicate and interact with anyone, but I hope I can talk to the quieter students, too.

Furuya:It’s ideal for international students to be able to speak English and Japanese both equally after having studied abroad. The same thing could be said for Japanese students going to a different country.

Moe:GLFP is a highly competitive program which selects only 15 students from all schools. We all have different majors, so when we went abroad together, some classes we wanted to take were unavailable. Some of my friends struggled registering for classes. I hear Waseda is concluding agreements to have more partner institutions, so I look forward to having more flexibility and choices for the future.

Furuya:That’s right. All schools at the university is promoting globalization, and we have signed agreements with Asia’s top-class universities, Peking University, Fudan University, and National Taiwan University to name a few, for the Double Degree Program.

Double Degree Program (DDP)

Waseda University’s Double Degree Program (DDP) is an educational program in which students can obtain two degrees (from Waseda University and a partner institution) at graduation, through a study abroad program to the partner institution. As a general rule, the program’s basic structure is based on the existing curriculum of both Waseda University and partner institutions.
In essence, participant students must fulfill designated degree requirements by completing courses taken alongside with regular students at the partner institution. As such, high levels of reading ability, listening ability, conversation skills will be required in the partner institution’s language of instruction; thus, enabling acquisition of specialized and concentrated knowledge through the study abroad program. All the hard work that is put into this program will be rewarded by a degree conferment by the partner university. Each participant will be able contribute to the “co-creation of knowledge.”

Furuya:In addition, globalization among faculty has progressed considerably at Waseda.

Globalization of faculty members

The Faculty of Political science and Economics prides itself for housing the School of Political Science and Economics, one of the most traditional schools on campus. The School of Political Science and Economics, which also runs the EDESSA program mentioned previously, has 52 faculty members who have obtained degrees abroad and 18 who are of foreign nationality. Moreover, many faculty members at the School of Political Science and Economics have experience teaching or doing research abroad, and the faculty continues to search for new recruits with international experiences. Waseda’s globalization is rapidly accelerating.  

For the future

Furuya:Could you please share with us what your future goals are?

Kazumasa:I want to make a living as a researcher. I am also considering working abroad if the chance arises.

Jeremy:I will graduate this September, but I plan to continue studying in either Singapore or Japan. I aspire to be academia, doing in-depth research about international politics.

Moe: Study abroad helped me envision the path I want to follow for the future. I am looking for a position in media as I am job-hunting at the moment. GLFP and my experience studying abroad put me at an advantage, allowing myself to stand out from others.

Mari:Starting in April, I will be working in a laboratory to do research on accelerators. In the future, I hope to work in a field where I can use my expertise. As of the location, I don’t have any particular country in mind, but I am thinking globally and go where the opportunity lies.

Stuart:After studying here at Waseda, I realized how in-tune I feel living here. In the future, I would like to teach English in Japan.

Furuya:I wish you all the best. Being fluent in English does not mean you can engage in deep conversations without a core. Even if your English is incomplete, the active participation and growth matter much more as it does it the real world. That’s why we want you to take advantage of Waseda, a globally-minded educational institution, to meet people from all walks of life and build character. I myself would also like to meet individuals from diverse backgrounds and contribute to education and research while bringing positive influence. I sincerely appreciate everyone for coming here today. Thank you.

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